It might sound like a stretch, but our sages saw profound links between generations, commandments, and even the offerings brought by the princes of Israel. Let's dive in.
The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, details the offerings of the tribal princes. We find a repeated phrase: "One silver dish" (Numbers 7:13). Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya’ir suggests a fascinating interpretation. He urges us to read the Hebrew word kaarat – "dish" – not as it is, but as akeret, connecting it to Adam, the root (ikaran) of humanity.
Where does this connection come from? Rabbi Shemaya points out that the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in kaarat kesef (silver dish) adds up to 930 – precisely the number of years Adam lived! We find this explicitly stated in Genesis 5:5: "All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.” A beautiful example of gematria, a method of interpreting scripture by assigning numerical values to letters.
But why silver? Because, the text suggests, Adam was given six commandments. The Torah, in turn, is likened to silver, as Psalm 12:7 says: "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver purified in the furnace of the earth." And why "one" dish? Because of Eve, created from Adam, as Genesis 2:21 tells us: "He took one of his sides."
The story continues. "Its weight one hundred and thirty" alludes to the 130 years Adam separated himself from Eve before fathering Seth, from whom the world was re-established after the deaths of Abel and Cain. And the "basin" (mizrak)? That corresponds to Noah, who was, in a sense, "cast out" (shenizrak) from a corrupt generation.
Why is Noah also associated with silver? Because he was righteous in his generation, as Genesis 7:1 states: "As I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation.” Or, again, because of the commandments he observed, specifically the prohibition against eating blood (Genesis 9:4). Rabbi Shemaya even connects the numerical value of "mizrak echad kesef" (one silver basin) to the 500 years of Noah's life before he had children (Genesis 5:32), further linking the text to the biblical narrative through intricate numerical connections.
The offering also includes "Seventy shekels." This number, the text suggests, corresponds to the seventy nations that descended from Noah. Or, perhaps, to the first seventy verses of Genesis, ending with the curse of the serpent. Rabbi Pinchas points out that the serpent and the wicked Haman both receive their curses after seventy verses, highlighting a recurring pattern in the biblical narrative. The number seventy also connects to the seventy holy names from the beginning of Genesis up to the story of the serpent, and to the seventy years Terah was when he fathered Abraham (Genesis 11:26). We are reminded too of the seventy days of mourning for Jacob (Genesis 50:3), and even the seventy holidays given to Israel. The text mentions seventy names of God, Israel, the Torah, and Jerusalem, further emphasizing the significance of this number. Finally, the number seventy alludes to the seventy years that Adam deducted from his life and gave to David.
"Both of them full" – meaning both Adam and Noah – received commandments and were righteous. And the "gold ladle of ten shekels"? That represents the ten sayings with which the world was created, the ten fundamental spheres, the ten generations from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham, the Ten Commandments, and the ten miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea.
The offering, "filled with incense," is linked to circumcision. The smell of the blood and foreskin at the moment of circumcision was pleasing to God. As it says in Song of Songs 4:6, "I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense," representing the circumcisions performed in Egypt and upon entering the land of Canaan.
The offerings of animals – a young bull, a ram, a lamb, a goat – also hold symbolic weight. They can represent the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and also the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The goat (use’ir) connects to the Torah, likened to "rainstorms (kisirim) on the grass" (Deuteronomy 32:2), reminding us that the world was created in the merit of the Torah.
Why these specific animals? Perhaps because Noah sacrificed similar animals after the flood. And the goat as a sin offering? To atone for the curse on the earth after the flood. The three burnt offerings and one sin offering can also correspond to the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire, with the goat representing the heavy earth.
Finally, the text concludes by emphasizing the equality and love God has for all the tribes of Israel. Even though the dedication of the altar took twelve days, the Torah ascribes it to them as if they all presented their offerings together on the first day. As Song of Songs 4:7 beautifully states: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no blemish in you.”
So, what does it all mean? This passage from Bamidbar Rabbah reveals a complex web of connections, linking generations, commandments, numbers, and offerings. It's a reminder that everything in the Torah, and perhaps in life, is interconnected, waiting to be discovered with careful study and a little bit of wonder. It encourages us to look deeper, to see the patterns and connections that might otherwise go unnoticed, and to appreciate the intricate tapestry of Jewish tradition.